Floor cleaning and waxing machine



Sept. 7, 1965 c. CAMPBELL FLOOR CLEANING AND WAXING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 17, 1965 M H 6 a 9M ,7, a w l 3 V 6 mm F Z 44 3 1N VEN TOR. 62547/6 (WM/ 562A 4rr0P/v0 Sept. 7, 1965 c. CAMPBELL FLOOR CLEANING AND WAXING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 17, 1963 INVENTOR. Czar/v5 dim/P6514 Nhw QNx Sept. 7, 1965 c. CAMPBELL FLOOR CLEANING AND WAXING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Jail. 17, 1963 i z m; T6 NP 2 5 W n M j a 3 i 4 W FIG. 7

Arroene/ United States Patent 3,204,280 FL'GOR CLEANING AND WAXING MACHINE Cleatis Campbell, Ossining, N.Y. (1920 Baldwin St, South Plainfield, NJ.) Filed Jan. 17, 1963, 'Ser. No. 252,118 8 Claims. (Cl. 15-'31'4) This invention relates to a floor waxing and cleaning machine, on which the operator may sit and drive the machine to work on any selected floor area.

One object of the invention is to provide a motordriven machine with brushes operable to clean the surface of an old floor, and to provide a new surfacing layer of wax and to polish the new wax layer to provide a clean protected floor surface.

Another object of the invention is to provide a floor waxing machine that may be readily driven by an operator seated on the machine, so the machine can be driven over the floor area and be used to clean and wax a large floor of substantial area, with relative ease and minimum effort on the Part of the operator.

Another object of the invention is to provide a floor waxing machine with an outboard structure for operating a small brush to get into small confined areas, such as corners, to perform the cleaning and waxing operatlons necessary.

Another object of the invention is to provide a floor waxing machine having a pair of main working brushes for doing the hard scrubbing and waxing operations, with a rear mounted relatively soft polishing brush for putting a final polish on the waxed surface, to eliminate any marks from the travelling machine and to pick up any foreign material that might be left on the waxed and polished floor by the operation of the machine.

Another object of the invention is to provide a vacuum cleaning system for removing foreign particles from the polishing brush during operation, and for independently or jointly vacuum cleaning the floor to remove undesired particles.

Another object of the invention is to provide a floor waxing machine provided with a heavy duty scrubbing brush and a separate waxing and polishing brush, with means for rotating the brushes in forward or in re verse directions, to provide a more uniform surface on the floor being cleaned and waxed, and to prevent cutting or grooving of the floor due to rotation of the brushes in one direction only.

Another object of the invention is to provide a floor waxing machine in which the wax may be fed from a reservoir on the machine to the waxing and polishing brush with a controlled feed to prevent the flow of excessive wax to the wax polishing brush.

Another object of the invention is to provide a wax polishing machine in which the several operating brushes may be raised and lowered to provide for maximum flexibility in the operation of the machine.

Another object of the invention is to provide a floor waxing machine in which a front outboard mounted brush may be shifted longitudinally by the operator to selected distances in front of the machine body, and that may be simultaneously moved angularly by the operator through a predetermined permitted angle, in order to permit the brush to be manipulated in a constricted area.

A waxing machine constructed in accordance with the principles of this invention is supported on a movable carriage provided with a pair of front wheels and a pair of rear wheels, with driving means attached to one set of wheels, in this case, the rear wheels, and with suitable guiding means attached to the front wheels so the machine may be driven and guided over a floor 3,204,280 Patented Sept. 7, 1965 area by the operator, to move the working brushes in position to perform their operations and to move them from area to area over the floor. Alternatively, driving power may be applied to the front wheels and guiding action provided through the rear wheels.

The two main Working brushes of the machine include a main scrubbing brush which may be covered with steel wool for the cleaning or stripping operation to remove dirt or other undesired covering from a floor surface. Similarly, that brush may be then provided with a suitable covering to perform a polishing operation over an area that has been previously cleaned and then covered with a layer of wax surfacing material.

The second main operating brush serves to apply the wax to an area of the floor that has been already cleaned, and serves also to work the wax into the floor surface and to remove any particles of the floor surface by substantially encapsulating such loose particles in the small amount of excess wax that is applied to the floor for surfacing. A vacuum cleaning apparatus operated by the machine serves to collect such loose particles.

Those two main brushes are suitably supported on a platform structure which may be raised or lowered at the will of the operator to raise the brushes from the floor, or to lower them into contact with the floor when a Working operation is to be performed. The raising and lowering operation may be performed by any mechanical or hydraulic means. For simplicity, that functional operation is shown herein as manually performed, and, alternatively, as hydraulically operated. Torsion guide bars employed with the brush platform structure to provide stability and balancing reaction against the forces of the rotating brushes against the floor.

The brushes are arranged to be driven by a reversible electric motor, so that the brushes may be driven in either direction to avoid the grooving effect of a brush rotating always in the same direction on the floor surface.

The brushes may be of usual bristle types with backing blocks to support scrubbing pads of steel wool or the like for scouring a floor to remove encrusted materials or the top surface of a wooden floor that is to be renewed. The pad of steel Wool or of polishing material may be readily applied over the brush bristles and clamped in place in the manner known in the art.

Shock-absorbing springs co-operate with the torsion bars to support the platform with the depending brushes.

One of the features of the invention is the provision of a front-mounted brush on a forwardly projecting outboard support, with a manipulating handle that permits the brush to be moved into relatively constricted areas such as corners for operation in that area to perform both the cleaning and the waxing operations.

Such front brush is supported to permit forward projection by the operator and is mounted at the same time to permit a certain amount of limited angular movement, so a maximum flexibility can be achieved in the operation of that front brush with appropriate maneuvering of the machine and the brush together.

In order to remove any marks that might be traced on the wax floor by the wheels of the carriage after the completion of a Waxing, polishing and vacuum operation, a final polishing brush is mounted at the rear of the carriage which serves to provide a final polishing operation to the floor surface and to remove any wheel tracks that might be formed on such waxed surface by the move ment of the machine. A vacuum system related to the polishing brush removes foreign particles from the brush and thus preserves the polishing function of the brush and prevents remarking the waxed surface.

The several brushes are driven by electric motors, for which power is supplied from a bank of storage batteries carried in a compartment at the rear of the machine, which also houses the vacuum cleaner apparatus. Switches conveniently disposed within reach of the operator control the circuits to the operating motors and to clutch equipment for connecting or disconnecting the rear polishing brush and its drive motor. A battery charger serves to recharge the batteries after use, where a local light and power supply is not available, or to transmit power to a floating battery where a local power supply is available.

The details of construction of a floor waxing machine, in accordance with the principles of this invention and its various features, are described in the following specification taken in connection with the accompanying draw ings, in which FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of the waxing machine of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the machine as shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a bottom view of the machine shown in FIGURES 1 and 2;

FIGURE 4 is a front elevational view of the machine;

FIGURE 5 is a side view partially in elevation and partially in section taken from the reverse side of the machine as shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 6 is a vertical sectional view of a bearing support for the front brush driving shaft, and shows how the bearing may slide in a related outboard bearing arm;

FIGURE 7 is a side elevational view, partly in section, of the main brush and support assembly;

FIGURE 8 is a perspective View of the movable sup porting bracket and driving motor for the front brush;

and FIGURE 9 is a functional and circuit diagram for the rear polishing brush and vacuum system.

As shown in FIGURE 1, a floor waxing machine 10, constructed in accordance with the principles of this invention, comprises a main carriage structure 12 to ride on a pair of front wheels 14 and a pair of rear wheels 16, over a floor that is to be waxed, or cleaned and scrubbed and then waxed.

For the scrubbing and waxing operations, the machine 10 further comprises a main cleaning and scrubbing brush 22 and a waxing and polishing brush 24.

The machine 10 further comprises a front brush 26 suitably supported from an outboard structure at the front of the machine, including a pivoted bearing arm 28 and an angularly movable radius arm 30 supported for trans lation and angular movement with respect to a pivot and guide pin 32 supported on a bracket 34 supported on and secured to a box-like enclosure structure 36 at the front end of the carriage 12 of the machine.

The radius arm 30 is provided with an operating handle 40 at its back end, where the handle is accessible to an operator, on a seat 41, to shift the radius arm 30 forward and backward and to turn the radius arm 30 through a short angle, as is shown in more detail in FIGURES 2 and 8. The front end of the radius arm 30 carries a bracket 42 on which is supported an electric motor 45 having a shaft 46 that is suitably coupled through .a coupling 47 to the upper end of an extension shaft 48 which supports the brush 26 at its lower end. The extension shaft 48 extends through a bearing 49 self-adjustable in the outboard bearing arm 28, as in FIG. 6, which, with the coupling 47, provides a two-point support for the eX- tension shaft 48 to enable shaft 48 to rotate freely without any whipping action that would otherwise be caused by the long length of the extension shaft 48 if unsupported by the bearing arm 28. The details of bearing 49 and its disposition are shown in FIG. 6.

As shown in FIGURES 2 and 8, the radius arm 30 for the front brush 26 is provided with a slot 50 to permit the radius arm 30 to be shifted longitudinally by the handle 40, and at the same time to be moved angularly, in order to permit maximum freedom in adjusting the 4 position of the front brush 26 for operation in a corner, as schematically indicated in FIGURE 2.

In order to control the motor 45 for the front brush 26 while moving the positioning radius arm 30, a thumboperable on-and-olf snap switch 44 is mounted on the handle 40, so the operator can start or stop the motor 45 as desired. The circuit is not shown, but is controlled by the switch 44 and runs from one terminal of the battery supply, through the switch 44 to the motor 45 and back to the other terminal of the battery, the wiring being suitably supported on the various structural elements of the machine.

The waxing machine 10 further comprises a rear polishing brush 60 to polish out and remove any wheel track marks that might be left on the surface of the waxed floor by the wheels moving over a freshly waxed area. To pick up lint and other loose particles that might be left on the floor as a result of the working and polishing operations, a vacuum cleaner 61 is provided at the rear of the machine, with appropriate bag 61a, hose 61B and wand 61C.

The vacuum cleaner serves two purposes, as shown in FIG. 9. First, it may be used alone for cleaning the floor with the wand 610. Second, the vacuum cleaner may be used with the rear polishing brush 60 to remove lint and other loose particles from the polishing brush 60 as it rotates and moves past the cover shield 60A which serves also as a vacuum conduit and wand with a slot 60B along the edge of the shield 60A near the periphery of the polishing brush 60.

The vacuum bag 61a is disposed between the vacuum pump 76 and a double coupling having two connecting ports 61] and 61K, with easily removable caps 611A and 61KA for closing the port or ports not in use and for permitting connection to either port or to both ports, according to where vacuum action is desired. Thus the vacuum connection at port 61] alone is for the vacuum cleaner hose 61B and wand 61C. The connection to port 61K is to provide vacuum at the polishing brush 60' during operation and includes a flexible hose 60C to enable the cover shield 60A to move upward freely with the frame 67 that supports the polishing brush 60.

The connections are made by the operator, as desired.

The vacuum pump for the vacuum cleaner 61 is driven by an electric motor 62 which provides power for both the vacuum cleaner. 61 and for the rear polishing brush 60 through suitable clutches 63 and 64 to connect either or both the vacuum pump and the polishing brush to said motor. Each clutch is electrically operable and has an individual switch 63A or 64A energize the related operating coil, as shown in FIGURE 9.

The rear polishing brush 60 is shown, in FIGS. 1, 5 and 9, as supported on a pivoted frame 67 which is suitably supported on pivot pins 69 mounted in brackets 70 on the rear of the carriage structure 12. The pivoted frame 67 that supports the rear polishing brush 60 is arranged to be raised or lowered at the will of the operator through the medium of a pivoted handle 71 and a connecting rod 72 between the pivoted frame 67 and the adjacent end 74 of the pivoted handle 71.

The vacuumshield 60A for the polishing brush is also appropriately supported on the pivoted structure 67 for the brush 60, so movement of the brush 60 will be attended by corresponding movement of the vacuum shield 60A.

Power to drive the several motors of the waxing machine is provided by storage batteries disposed within the box structure 92 at the rear of the machine. A power rectifier 94 is also provided, and is disposed adjacent the storage batteries 90 in circuit between the batteries and a terminal plug 96 to receive a connector from an external light and power circuit to supply charging energy to the batteries 90. Thus, the waxing machine is independent of any electrical connections and may be used in areas of new structures where the electric power may not yet be connected and available.

Power to drive the machine is applied to the rear wheels 16, through suitable means, which in this case is illustrated as by means of a sprocket chain 100 from a sprocket wheel 102 on the shaft of a drive motor 104 to a sprocket wheel 106 on the axle 108 on which the two rear wheels 16 are mounted.

In order to guide the machine 10, the front wheels 14 are provided with suitable radius arms 122 and connecting rods 124, shown in more detail in FIGURE 5, which are arranged to be operated by a steering wheel 126 extending back to be accessible to the operator who will normally be sitting on the seat 41 on the box frame 92.

In order to raise the main scrubbing and waxing brushes 22 and 24 from the floor while the machine is being merely moved from one location to another, and then to lower those brushes into operative position when desired, an operating lever-arm handle 130 for that brush assembly is also disposed to be accessible to the operator when sitting on the box frame 92. The disposition and arrangement and the method of operation of that handle 130 in controlling the raising and lowering of the two main brushes 22 and 24 is shown in more detail in FIG- URE 5.

As also shown in FIGURE 5, the steering wheel 126 operates through a steering rod 132 to a universal coupling 134 and a connecting rod 136 to a second universal coupling 140 which operates a transverse bar 124 to position the two radius arms 122, one on each front wheel 1.4, to rotate a kingpin structure 142 upon which each wheel 14 is supported.

The operator while sitting on the box frame housing cover 92 is thus able to operate the steering wheel 126 to turn the front wheels 14,. and also is able to operate the handle 40 for the lever arm for positioning and manipulating the front corner brush 26, as previously described in connection with FIGURE 1. The electric switch 44 .on that handle enables the operator to start or stop the motor at the front brush 26 by a simple thumb pressure operation. The operator is also able to manipulate the .handle from his seated position, to raise and lower the entire brush assembly which supports the two main brushes 22 and 24 that perform the cleaning and waxing operations.

As previously explained, it is intended that the raising and lowering of the brush assembly shall alternatively be accomplished hydraulically, in order that the Weight of the brush assembly may be more easily handled, as shown in FIG. 7.

As shown in FIGURE 5, the two brushes 22 and 24 are supported for rotation on a box frame 160. The box frame is arranged to be raised and lowered by the lever arm 130 whichis pivotally supported on apin 162 and has its crank arm 164 supporting a control pin 166 in the slot 168 of a pivoted fulcrum arm 170.

The fulcrum arm 170 is pivoted at its rear end on a pivot pin 172 and is provided with a middle slot 174 that permits a certain amount of lost motion with respect to a pin 175 secured to the frame 160 to enable the fulcrum arm 170 to raise the frame 160 in co-operation with a compression spring 176 on a rod 178 to raise the brushes 22 and 24 from the floor level 20. When the brushes 22 and 24 are to be lowered to operating position against the floor 20, the lever arm 130 is pulled backward to lower the fulcrum lever 170 and the brush frame 160 against the bias lifting force of the compression spring 176.

As long as the lever arm 130 is left in rearward position, it will serve to lock the fulcrum lever 170 in lower position against the return biasing spring 176.

Two torsion and guide rods 182 and 184 are anchored to the top frame section 185 and depend vertically from that section 185 to extend through associated guide bearings 186 and 188, to provide some outboard reaction for 6 the brush frame 160, so the frame 160 will be held relatively stable during operation of the two brushes 22 and 24.

The brush box frame 160 also supports a drive motor 190 to drive those two brushes 22 and 24.

The motor 190 is shown supported from a bracket 192 that is anchored to an upper section of the frame 160. The motor 190 drives two pulleys 194 and 196 on its shaft, which in turn drive two belts 204 and 206 that supply energy to the related pulleys 214 and 216 on the two respective shafts 222 and 224 for the two brushes 22 and 24.

The upper ends of the shafts 222 and 224 for the two brushes 22 and 24 are supported on combination thrust and step bearings 232 and 234.

The shaft 224 has a central axial bore to deliver wax to the brush 24. The Wax originates in a refillable wax tank reservoir 250 from which the wax moves through a valve 252, thence through a hose 254 and a conduit 256 into the bore in the shaft 224.

To regulate the wax flow, and to prevent excessive flow, the valve 252 is shown as electrically operable, either by the operator at will, or by a periodically closing switch to connect the operating coil of the valve to the battery source. The flow of wax is thus controlled within proper limits.

FIGURE 6 shows an outboard bearing 280 for the extension shaft 48 of the front brush 26. The outboard bearing 280 is slidably supported in a suitable slotted bracket 284 on the bearing arm 28. The bearing 280 is shown as comprising a series of bearing balls 286 between two races 292 and 294 held in the slideway in the slotted bracket 284. As the front brush bracket 42 and motor 45 are adjustably maneuvered, the bearing 280 slides in its slideway to provide transverse reaction support for the rotating extension shaft 48 for the front brush 26.

In FIGURE 7 is shown an alternative arrangement for controlling the raising and lowering of the two cleaning and waxing brushes identified as 322 and 324 in this figure. A hydraulic piston unit330 is employed with suitable controls 334 for moving the piston to either extreme position to control the corresponding position of a supporting frame 340 for the two brushes 322 and 324. A two-directional motor 335 with reversing switches 336 and 338 operate the controls 334 and the hydraulic unit 330 which are conventional. The two brushes are supported on shafts 342 and 344, the upper ends of which are supported on combination guide and thrust bearings 352 and 354.

TA motor 360 drives the two shafts 342 and 344 through suitable driving belts 362 and 364, shown schematically as simple belts but which may be chain belts on suitable sprockets.

The supporting frame 340 rests on two shock-absorbing and compression springs 366 and 368 supported on posts 376 and 378 depending from the carriage structure 380. Two torsion or guide bars 382 and 384 help to stabilize the supporting frame against the side and turning thrusts of the brushes 322 and 324 while they are rotating.

The pads of steel wool and of other materials for scrubbing, or for polishing the waxed floor, are well known in the art and need not be described. Similarly, the clamping means for attaching and clamping such pads are well known in the art.

The hydraulic piston equipment and its controls are likewise known in the art, and for that reason are merely indicated in function and in location, with the controls indicated to show the nature of the function desired.

The apparatus show in FIGURE 1 thus shows a selfcomplete floor-waxing machine that may be easily moved and manipulated, and will serve to treat large floor areas. The parts are generally enclosed, for safety, but are readily accessible when necessary. As generally indicated, the wax reservoir is located in the front box compartment 36, the storage batteries and charger and the vacuum cleaner equipment are disposed and stored in the rear box compartment 92. The supporting platform for the brushes are covered by the hinged side aprons 400. The driving chains for the rear polishing brush are covered by suitable covers that have been left off for convenience of illustration.

Other details may be added and those shown may be modified within the spirit and scope of the invention, par- (f) a second floor conditioning means mounted on said frame for trailing-said rear wheel means,

(g) said second floor conditioning means having a transverse dimension sufliciently large to remove any tracks produced by said wheel means,

(h) and a third floor conditioning means mounted on said frame intermediate the length thereof and be,- tween said front and rear wheel means;

(i) said third floor conditioning means comprising a pair of brush means mounted in .tandem between said wheel means each having a transverse dimension at least substantially equal to the transverse di mension of said carriage frame.

2. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said first floor conditioning means comprises (a) rotary brush means,

(b) a motor means,

(c) a bearing arm fulcrumed at one end to said carriage frame,

(d) a bearing means slidably mounted on said arm,

(e) a radius arm pivoted to said frame in parallel to said bearing arm,

(f) a shaft extended through said bearing means, and

(g) means coupling the free end of said shaft to said motor means, said motor means being carried on the end of said radius arm, whereby the movement of said rotary brush means is controlled by the reciprocal and angular movement of said radius arm.

3. The invention as defined in claim 1 and further. comprising (a) a vacuum means cooperatively associated with said second floor conditioning means for cleaning said second floor conditioning means,

(b) a common power source for said second floor conditioning means and said vacuum means,

(c) and means for selectively coupling said second floor conditioning means and said vacuum means to said common power source for either independent operation or simultaneous operation.

4. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said third floor conditioning means includes:

(a) a support for mounting said pair of tandem brush means,

(b) means for suspending said support from said carriage frame for movement between an operative and inoperative position,

(c) said latter means including a supporting rod connected centrally of said support and extending through said carriage frame,

(d) a compression spring mounted on said supporting rod for normally biasing said support toward its raised position,

(e) and a pair of torque and guide bars depending from said carriage frame on either side of said support for vertically guiding the support.

5. The invention as defined in claim 4 further comprising (a) means for raising and lowering said support,

(b) a fulcrum lever pivoted at one end to said carriage frame,

(c) a pin and slot connection connecting an intermediate portion of said lever to said support,

'(d) and an operating lever pivotally connected to the free end of said fulcrum lever whereby the actuation of said operating lever elfects the movement of said support accordingly.

6. The invention as defined in claim 4 further comprising (a) means for raising and lowering the support,

(b) a hydraulic piston unit connected to said support,

(c) and control means for effecting the operation of said unit to raise and lower the support.

7. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said second floor conditioning means includes:

(a) a yoke frame pivotally mounted to the rear of said carriage frame,

,(b) a rear brush rotatably mounted on said yoke frame, and

(c) means for manually raising said yoke frame between operative and inoperative positions. 8. The invention as defined in claim 7 further comprising (a) vacuum means, (b) a vacuum shield circumscribing said rear brush journalled on said yoke frame, (c) a wand for cleaning the floor, (d) and means for rendering either of said shield or wand alternately operable.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 915,613 3/09 Leister 15-349 X 949,069 2/ 10 Grimwood 15-340 1,169,191 1/16 Quist 15246 X 1,176,408 3/ 16 Skyrzyszewski l5340 X 1,638,641 8/27 OBrien 15246 X 2,683,885 7/54 Johnson 15340 X 2,867,039 1/59 Zach 3043 2,917,979 12/59 Deming et al. 1549 X 2,930,056 3/60 Lappin 1549 2,978,719 4/61 Arones 1549 FOREIGN PATENTS 198,789 7/58 Austria. 609,427 11/60 Canada. 925,777 3 55 Germany.

CHARLES A. WILLMUTI -I, Primary Examiner. 

1. AN OPERATOR DRIVEN FLOOR CONDITIONING MACHINE COMPRISING (A) A CARRIAGE FRAME, (B) FRONT AND REAR WHEEL MEANS FOR SAID CARRIAGE FRAME, (C) MEANS FOR DRIVING ONE OF SAID WHEEL MEANS, (D) MEANS FOR STEERING THE OTHER OF SAID WHEEL MEANS, (E) A FIRST FLOOR CONDITIONING MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID CARRIAGE FRAME IN ADVANCE OF SAID FRONT WHEEL MEANS AND MEANS FOR RECIPROCALLY AND ANGULARLY MOVING SAID FIRST FLOOW CONDITIONING MEANS FOR CONDITIONING CORNER FLOOR AREAS, (F) A SECOND FLOOR CONDITIONING MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME FOR TRAILING SAID REAR WHEEL MEANS, (G) SAID SECOND FLOOR CONDITIONING MEANS HAVING A TRANSVERSE DIMENSION SUFFICIENTLY LARGE TO REMOVE ANY TRACKS PRODUCED BY SAID WHEEL MENS, (H) AND A THIRD FLOOR CONDITIONING MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME INTERMEDIATE THE LENGTH THEREOF AND BETWEEN SAID FRONT AND REAR WHEEL MEANS; (I) SAID THIRD FLOOR CONDITIONING MEANS COMPRISING A PAIRR OF BRUCH MEANS MOUNTED IN TENDEM BETWEEN SAID WHEEL MEANS EACH HAVING A TRANSVERSE DIMENSION AT LEAST SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THE TRANSVERSE DIMENTION OF SAID CARRIAGE FRAME. 